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Perplexity vs Things 3

Perplexity logo

Perplexity

Software

AI-powered answer engine with citations

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Things 3 logo

Things 3

Software

The award-winning personal task manager

From
$9.99/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Perplexity has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Perplexity context window has been stealthily reduced despite prior claims of 1-million-token capacity; Things 3 no team collaboration, task sharing, or task assignment features
  • They diverge on capability: Perplexity covers Real-time web search, Things 3 covers Today view.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Perplexity and Things 3 actually diverge.

Attributes where Perplexity and Things 3 differ
AttributePerplexityThings 3
Starting priceFree$9.99/one-time
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, Comet (AI browser)macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS
Founded20222004

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Perplexity

  • Real-time web search
  • Source citations
  • Follow-up questions
  • File analysis
  • Browser extension
  • API access
  • Mobile apps
  • Web support

Only in Things 3

  • Today view
  • Projects and areas
  • Quick entry
  • Tags
  • Calendar integration
  • Apple Calendar
  • Siri
  • Shortcuts

Both cover

  • Ios support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Perplexity

  • ai tools managementnot Things 3
  • Workflow automationnot Things 3
  • Reportingnot Things 3

Things 3

  • Schedulingnot Perplexity
  • Appointment bookingnot Perplexity
  • Time trackingnot Perplexity
  • Resource managementnot Perplexity
  • Team coordinationnot Perplexity

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Perplexity

  • Context window has been stealthily reduced despite prior claims of 1-million-token capacity
  • Citations sometimes point to irrelevant or overly general articles that do not support the stated claims
  • Weak performance on complex multi-step reasoning and deep logic compared to dedicated reasoning LLMs
  • Web crawler ignores robots.txt directives and scrapes content from sites that explicitly opted out
  • Pro subscription quotas and feature access quietly reduced without user notification

Things 3

  • No team collaboration, task sharing, or task assignment features
  • Apple ecosystem only, with no Windows, Android, or web version
  • No third-party app integrations beyond Apple's ecosystem
  • Cannot attach files or images to tasks, only text notes
  • No time blocking or calendar integration for scheduling tasks into specific time slots

Pricing, plan by plan

Perplexity

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited basic searches
    • 3 Pro Searches per day
    • 1 Research query per month
  • Pro$20/month
    • Unlimited Pro Searches
    • Advanced AI models
    • All free features
  • Pro Annual$200/year
    • Unlimited Pro Searches
    • Advanced AI models
    • All free features
  • Max$200/month
    • Unlimited Pro Searches
    • Labs multi-agent orchestration
    • Perplexity Computer with 19 AI sub-agents

Things 3

$9.99/one-time
  • iPhone/Watch$9.99/one-time
  • iPad$19.99/one-time
  • Mac$49.99/one-time

Which should you pick?

Choose Perplexity if

  • You need real-time web search.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Comet (AI browser).
  • You also want source citations.
Perplexity review

Choose Things 3 if

  • You need today view.
  • You work on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS.
  • You also want projects and areas.
Things 3 review

Questions people ask

Is Perplexity or Things 3 better?
Neither clearly leads. Perplexity starts at Free and Things 3 at $9.99/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Perplexity or Things 3?
Perplexity has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Perplexity and $9.99/one-time for Things 3.
Does Perplexity or Things 3 run on more platforms?
Perplexity runs on Web, iOS, Android, Comet (AI browser). Things 3 runs on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS.
Can I use Perplexity for free?
Yes. Perplexity has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Things 3 starts at $9.99/one-time.
What is Perplexity best used for?
Perplexity is most often used for ai tools management, workflow automation, reporting. Of those, ai tools management and workflow automation are not what Things 3 is typically brought in for.
What can Perplexity do that Things 3 cannot?
Perplexity covers Real-time web search, Source citations, Follow-up questions, File analysis. Things 3 covers Today view, Projects and areas, Quick entry, Tags. Both handle Ios support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Perplexity: Is Perplexity completely free?

Perplexity has a free tier with unlimited basic searches and 3 Pro Searches per day. Pro ($20/month or $200/year) and Max ($200/month) tiers unlock more advanced features like multi-model access and unrestricted queries.

Source
Things 3: Does Things 3 support team collaboration?

No. Things 3 is designed for individual use only with no task sharing, team workspaces, task assignment, or commenting features.

Source
Perplexity: What is the difference between Pro and Max?

Pro provides access to advanced AI models like GPT-5.2, Claude Sonnet 4.5, and Gemini 3 Pro. Max adds Labs for multi-agent orchestration, Perplexity Computer with 19 specialized AI sub-agents, and 10,000 Computer credits per month.

Source
Things 3: What platforms does Things 3 run on?

Things 3 is exclusive to Apple devices: macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and visionOS. There is no Windows, Android, or web version.

Source
Perplexity: Can I use Perplexity offline?

No. Perplexity requires an active internet connection for all searches. The full answer service is not available offline.

Source
Things 3: How much does Things 3 cost?

Things 3 uses a one-time purchase model: $9.99 for iPhone/Watch, $19.99 for iPad, and $49.99 for Mac. Total cost for all platforms is approximately $80 with no subscription required.

Source
Perplexity: What platforms does Perplexity support?

Perplexity is available as a web application, iOS app, Android app, and as Comet, a dedicated AI browser for mobile (Android available, iOS in development).

Source
Things 3: Does Things 3 sync across devices?

Yes. Things Cloud keeps your to-dos in sync across all your Apple devices automatically. There is no extra cost for cloud synchronization.

Source
Perplexity: How reliable are Perplexity's citations?

Citations are a key feature of Perplexity, but users report that citations sometimes point to irrelevant or overly general articles that don't directly support the claims made.

Source
Things 3: Can you attach files or images to tasks in Things 3?

No. Things 3 does not support attachments. You can only add notes (text) to tasks.

Source
Perplexity: Does Perplexity's context window match the advertised 1 million tokens?

Perplexity had promoted a 1-million-token context window, but users have reported stealth reductions in the actual context capacity without public announcement.

Source
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